Chapter 170: Crimson as Fire, the Eleventh Form: Sun Halo Dragon

If gaining power makes you think you can trample order and tower over all beings,

then this power is too cheap.

A hoarse voice suddenly rang out; Li Shuyang staggered to his feet, a cold smile twisting his bloodied lips.

But unfortunately, this world has always been

Boom!

A heartbeat like a war drum suddenly exploded! Zhou Ming’s words were cut off by the violent thudding.

Li Shuyang’s body snapped rigid, steaming white heat rising from his skin, veins visible beneath his flesh under the intense temperature.

His breath grew heavier with each exhale, spitting out ember-like fragments; the air around him warped from the heat, grass and trees withered and carbonized beneath his feet, turning to ash that scattered away.

This is—

Zhou Ming’s pupils shrank sharply; his composure shattered for the first time.

Li Shuyang slowly lifted his head, crimson flame-like patterns suddenly appearing on his forehead—patterns like blazing fire, spreading from his brow to his left cheek, eerie and blinding under the moonlight.

Simultaneously, a terrifying spiritual force surged forth, the ground beneath him cracking in every direction, stones floating upward before crashing down again under gravity.

Sun Breathing—

Li Shuyang’s voice rumbled like thunder; the broken blade in his hand suddenly burst into crimson flame, the blade twisting and warping, then solidifying under the heat into a long, fully crimson sword wreathed in flowing fire.

Tenth Form·Radiant Glory!

He leapt abruptly, the blade’s light falling like a meteor, a blazing crimson trail cutting through the night sky; Zhou Ming raised his hand in haste, fleshy tendrils multiplying wildly to form a thick barrier—yet it vanished into ash the instant it touched the blade’s light!

Boom—!

The blade struck, shaking the earth! Centered on Li Shuyang, the ground within a radius of dozens of meters collapsed violently, molten lava gushing from the fissures, swallowing everything around.

Zhou Ming’s body was split cleanly in two, the wound burning with eternal flame, his regeneration suppressed!

Aghhh—!

Zhou Ming screamed in agony, his two halves struggling to rejoin, but held fast by the flames; he looked up in terror to see Li Shuyang standing in the center of the molten rock, the crimson patterns burning on his face, his gaze cold as a blade.

Li Shuyang did not pause his motion—he knew better than anyone how hard ghosts are to kill, especially this one.

From their brief exchange, he had clearly recognized the source of the other’s power.

Gyutaro Muzan!

To kill him, that single strike alone was far from enough.

He drew a deep breath; the patterns on his face burned even more fiercely; his stance lowered slightly, the blade’s tip angled toward the ground, the surrounding air twisting, heat forming visible vortexes.

Sun Breathing—

As he whispered, the flames on the blade surged violently! They were no longer merely crimson—they transformed into a monstrous fire dragon coiling upward around the blade.

Its head reared high, whiskers flaring, every scale clearly defined, its burning eyes locked unblinkingly on Zhou Ming.

Eleventh Form·Sun Halo Dragon Dance!

Li Shuyang’s figure vanished abruptly.

The next instant—

Roar!!!

A deafening dragon’s roar echoed through the heavens! A colossal dragon of pure flame surged skyward, its body dozens of meters long, the air exploding where it passed, the ground gouged with deep charred furrows.

The dragon opened its maw and swallowed Zhou Ming’s shattered remains whole!

Within its belly, thousands of blade lights erupted simultaneously—each one blazing with solar heat, tearing and incinerating Zhou Ming’s flesh inch by inch.

His screams were drowned by the dragon’s roar, his heart bursting, his brain scorched by the heat.

The dragon spiraled upward, then exploded under the rising sun!

Countless fire rains fell from the sky, turning the entire battlefield into a sea of flame; at the center of the explosion, Zhou Ming’s body lay in shattered fragments, only blackened stumps left burning in the fire.

Li Shuyang knelt on one knee, his sword driven into the ground; the patterns on his face faded slowly, but the fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever.

Just as the flames were about to consume the last fragment of his remains—

Glurk.

A faint squirming sound came from the charred earth; Li Shuyang snapped his head up, pupils shrinking.

On the ground, the severed flesh chunks suddenly convulsed violently; their blackened shells cracked and peeled away, revealing fresh red flesh beneath, countless fleshy tendrils growing wildly like living things, weaving into dense networks of crimson threads in the air.

This is—

The threads twisted and entwined, shaping a human silhouette; bones reshaped within the flesh, emitting a grating “crack-crack” sound.

Thump! Thump!

A muffled heartbeat pulsed within the chest cavity.

As the heartbeat grew stronger, muscle fibers crawled like living snakes over the skeleton, skin regenerated at visible speed, and finally, a pale face emerged from the bloody mass.

Zhou Ming knelt on one knee, gasping heavily, sticky blood still clinging to his new skin, his eyes filled with shock and terror.

Damn it, no one told me breaking through Sun Breathing’s suppression would drain this much spiritual energy.

No, not just spiritual energy—he felt every ounce of his strength drained, his body throbbing with pain, even basic flesh manipulation becoming difficult.

If that guy strikes again—

Zhou Ming snapped his head up, meeting Li Shuyang’s icy gaze; the boy was exhausted too, but the crimson blade in his hand still burned.

A bead of cold sweat slid down Zhou Ming’s forehead.

I think we can talk.

Zhou Ming spoke immediately, staring at the burning blade in Li Shuyang’s hand, continuing:

Whether you’ve inherited the legacy of Kyojuro Rengoku or Tanjiro Kamado, whether your hatred for Gyutaro Muzan runs deep—I understand.

But you must understand one thing: I am not Gyutaro Muzan.

I haven’t harmed anyone, let alone eaten them—you have no reason to kill me.

Sun Breathing·Sixth Form·Scorching Bone Solar Flame!

Li Shuyang drew upon his last reserves of strength; he gave no reply, cared nothing for Zhou Ming’s excuses—any verbal exchange was merely a delaying tactic, and he would never make such a foolish mistake.

The flames on the blade surged, the spinning slash becoming a fire tornado that swallowed Zhou Ming whole!

As for Zhou Ming’s claims of “not harming anyone,” “not eating humans”—

Perhaps that’s true right now.

But how could human will suppress a ghost’s instincts?

He hasn’t acted yet only because he hasn’t had the chance.

Just as he himself said: “It’s regrettable that after gaining power, one must still obey rules and order because of one’s weakness.”

This mindset of placing oneself above all others—merely restrained by insufficient strength—is more proof of his danger than any fang.

Boom—!

Zhou Ming screamed in agony within the flames; Li Shuyang’s blade showed no hesitation.

He would not wait until tragedy occurred to act.

A demon must die as a human, before it fully falls—not live on as a demon.

(End of Chapter)